Cook County men arrested after being found inside carjacked vehicle, fleeing from police: prosecutors
Ezequiel Lopez-Bey, 22 (left), Andrew De Lance (right)
NAPERVILLE, Ill. - Two Cook County men were arrested after being found inside a carjacked vehicle that fled from police, authorities said.
Ezequiel Lopez-Bey, 22, of Palatine, faces charges including possession of a stolen motor vehicle, aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, aggravated fleeing and eluding a police officer and resisting a police officer. He is being held in custody pending trial.
Lopez-Bey's co-defendant, 19-year-old Andrew De Lance of Arlington Heights, faces charges of possession of a stolen motor vehicle and resisting a police officer. De Lance was not detained.
A third individual, a 17-year-old male juvenile, was released pending further court action.
At about 7:11 p.m. on Sunday, Naperville police received information about a vehicle carjacked in Schaumburg around 6:30 p.m. that was reportedly in the area of South Washington Street. Officers located the vehicle running with its brake lights on.
Lopez-Bey, with De Lance and the juvenile inside, allegedly drove away at high speed when officers activated their emergency lights. Lopez-Bey struck two marked squad cars, causing damage, before reversing and fleeing the scene.
The suspects then allegedly exited the vehicle and fled on foot. Lopez-Bey, armed with a semi-automatic pistol, climbed an eight-foot fence before officers lost sight of him, prosecutors said.
With assistance from a drone and an Aurora K-9 officer, Naperville police located Lopez-Bey in a backyard on West Redstart Road and placed him under arrest. The weapon was allegedly found nearby.
De Lance and the juvenile were apprehended after a brief foot pursuit.
"The apprehension of the defendants in this matter is a testament to how seriously law enforcement in DuPage County takes their responsibility," said DuPage County State's Attorney Robert Berlin. "It is alleged that Mr. Lopez-Bey climbed over an eight-foot-tall fence in an attempt to escape. Not to be deterred, Naperville police immediately deployed a drone and with the assistance of an Aurora K-9 officer, Mr. Lopez-Bey was found hiding in a shed and taken into custody a short time later."
Lopez-Bey’s and De Lance’s next court appearances are scheduled for Jan. 13.